Monday, 19 September 2011

A to Z of African official IP websites no.13: Republic of the Congo

Things are still grim in Afro-IP's A-to-Z series of visits to the official IP websites of African states. It seems to be ages since the intrepid Kingsley Egbuonu has come across any credible web presence on the part of the continent's IP offices, and this week's visit to the Republic of the Congo is no exception.

Overview

The Republic of the Congo, not to be confused with its neighbour the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is signatory to international agreements on intellectual property such as the Paris and Berne Convention. It also belongs to the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) – a regional system based on the Bangui Agreement.

Copyright Office

The Congolese Copyright Office (Ministry of Culture and the Arts) is the office responsible for copyright and related rights in Congo.

Currently, this office has no web presence.

Industrial Property Office

The National Industrial Property Unit, Directorate General of Industry (Ministry of Industrial Development and Promotion of Private Sector) is the competent office responsible for the administration of intellectual property rights in Congo.

Currently, this office has no web presence.

Conclusion

Similarly to its neighbour, the DRC, recent civil wars and militia conflicts have stifled economic development in Congo. As a result, there isn’t much enthusiasm for legislative conformity and/or strong enforcement of IPRs in line with (minimum) international standards.